Guide to Entra ID Governance Integration
Entra ID Governance Feature Overview
Section titled “Entra ID Governance Feature Overview”Identity Governance Core Components
Section titled “Identity Governance Core Components”Microsoft Entra ID Governance is a comprehensive identity management solution that allows organizations to improve productivity, strengthen security, and meet compliance requirements. It focuses on ensuring that the right users have the right access to the right resources.
Primary Governance Features
Section titled “Primary Governance Features”Entitlement Management
Section titled “Entitlement Management”Entitlement Management is an identity governance feature that enables organizations to manage identity and access lifecycle at scale by automating access request workflows, access assignments, reviews, and expiration.
- Access Packages: A bundle of all the resources (groups, apps, and sites) a user needs to work on a project or perform their job.
- External User Access: Streamlines how people outside your organization request access and how that access is granted.
Access Reviews
Section titled “Access Reviews”Access Reviews allow organizations to efficiently manage group memberships, access to enterprise applications, and role assignments.
- Automation: Set up recurring reviews to ensure that only the people who still need access continue to have it.
- Compliance: Provides a clear audit trail of who approved access and when, which is critical for regulatory audits.
Privileged Identity Management (PIM)
Section titled “Privileged Identity Management (PIM)”PIM provides time-bound and approval-based role activation to mitigate the risks of excessive, unnecessary, or misused access permissions to important resources.
- Just-In-Time Access: Users are granted elevated permissions only when they need them.
- Approval Workflows: Specific roles can require approval from a designated administrator before activation.
Governance Capability Comparison
Section titled “Governance Capability Comparison”| Feature | Standard Entra ID | Entra ID Governance |
|---|---|---|
| Access Requests | Manual/Admin-led | Self-service via Access Packages |
| Admin Privileges | Persistent/Always-on | Just-In-Time (JIT) |
| Lifecycle Management | Manual Provisioning | Automated Workflows |
| Access Certification | Manual Audits | Automated Access Reviews |
Common Questions and Answers
Section titled “Common Questions and Answers”Q: What licenses are required for Entra ID Governance?
Section titled “Q: What licenses are required for Entra ID Governance?”A: Features like PIM and Access Reviews typically require Microsoft Entra ID P2 or Microsoft 365 E5 licenses.
Q: Can lifecycle workflows automate offboarding?
Section titled “Q: Can lifecycle workflows automate offboarding?”A: Yes. Lifecycle Workflows can be configured to automatically disable accounts and remove access when a user’s employment status changes in the HR system.
Q: Does this integrate with non-Microsoft apps?
Section titled “Q: Does this integrate with non-Microsoft apps?”A: Yes. Entitlement Management and Access Reviews can be extended to any enterprise application integrated with Entra ID via SAML, SCIM, or OIDC.
TLDR; Summary
Section titled “TLDR; Summary”Entra ID Governance provides automated tools for managing the full identity lifecycle. Through Entitlement Management, Access Reviews, and Privileged Identity Management, organizations can enforce least-privilege access, automate provisioning for new hires, and maintain a continuous audit trail for compliance.